Lance Stephenson had an up-and-down playoff run as the Pacers lost to the Heat in six games. / Steve Mitchell, USA TODAY Sports

by Candace Buckner, The Indianapolis Star

by Candace Buckner, The Indianapolis Star

Before the start of free agency, the Indiana Pacers developed a strong plan to keep their promising yet puzzling unrestricted free agent, Lance Stephenson.

They rented out Latitude 39 for a midnight movie at the start of free agency. Invited the most important people in Stephenson's life to the event. Showered him with praise and appreciation. Offered to pay him annually more than double the amount he had earned over the four years of his career. In other words, the Pacers tried.

"That's my boy, you know that," Larry Bird told The Star before the recruiting season commenced. "I'll take care of him - if I can."

Stephenson accepted a short-term deal Wednesday with the Charlotte Hornets, a source confirmed to The Star. Stephenson will make $9 million in each of his first and second seasons, and the third year, 2016-17, is a team option in which he would earn $9.4 million.

After news of the deal broke (as first reported by The Charlotte Observer and ESPN), Stephenson took to Twitter to thank the Pacers.

The agreement with the Hornets comes after the Pacers had offered "a couple of options" to Stephenson, according to his agent Alberto Ebanks. One option involved more up front money but less overall and the higher of the offers was a five-year deal - an albatross in the view of Stephenson's camp - worth $44 million.

"It wasn't really about the money," Ebanks said. "(But) If it's going to be too little then don't let it be too long because you're losing on both ends.

"We tried and we tried and there comes a point when you just can't try anymore and here we go."

On Tuesday in Las Vegas, Pacers owner Herb Simon spoke briefly about Stephenson and the process with the team which seemed to be staggering to an end.

"We made him a wonderful offer and they didn't think it was enough," Simon said. "So it's a simple situation."

Coincidentally, on that same day, the Hornets met with Stephenson and his agent in Las Vegas.

Stephenson, who has been in California for business this week, had previously shown Pacers fans countless encouraging signs that he would remain in Indianapolis - late-night sightings in Broad Ripple, a front row seat at a local basketball tournament and strangely, the occasional workout inside the team's practice facility. The longer he lingered on the market, the better the Pacers' chances appeared. And Stephenson showed that he was worth the wait.

Stephenson, 23, has made significant leaps in his career - all under the nurturing protection from the Pacers. Last season, when Danny Granger could not take the court due to injury, Stephenson stepped into the starter's responsibility and was imbued with the confidence from coach Frank Vogel although he had played in only 54 games during the two previous years. As Stephenson blossomed into a dynamic playmaker in the 2013-14 season, the Pacers, too, benefitted from his growth as the team started a franchise best to 16-1.

However, Stephenson's progress was derailed by the 'Bad Lance' moments. His visage as a willing passer also came with the displeasing sight of often asking the home scorer's table to be rewarded for statistics that he felt they had missed. Also, Stephenson couldn't always control his emotions, collecting the third most technical fouls in the NBA. He fought a teammate in practice before the start of the playoffs and even pushed his greatest advocate, Bird, to the point of expressing open disappointment by his sideshow during the Eastern Conference finals.

These examples, and there are plenty more, might have discouraged teams from rewarding Stephenson with a hefty contract. Still, the Pacers tried.

According to Stephenson's agent, several other teams offered more lucrative deals but their side wanted to work with the Pacers. Ebanks said he had communicated with the Pacers often and the two sides last spoke a couple of days ago. The Pacers, however, did not get a chance to match the Hornets' offer.

"Obviously, he has undying love for Larry Bird and for his teammates," Ebanks said, then further explained the reasoning behind the deal. "It really wasn't the money. We're betting on Lance and not against Lance. So if he had to take a little bit less, he was willing to do that. But you don't want to take a little bit less and play your entire basketball prime, the next five years for a lower amount of money. If you're going to take less, take less for a less amount of time then hit reset. â?¦ and enter the free agent market."

After two long weeks of free agency - but more importantly, after the sweet terms of endearment never quite matched either side's ideal terms of contracts - the Bird and Born Ready era comes to an end.